Before They Were Stars – And Before They Were… Famously Bald!

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Who Am I?

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Bruce Willis in Cannes, May 2012

Bruce Willis has a unique ability about him, and we would argue that a great part of it stems from his everyman looks. Because the thing of it is, he has made a fantastic career of playing everymen… who just happen to fall into heroic situations and end up saving the day (and usually New York City or Washington, D.C., or the world) time and again. Men and women alike want to hang out with him—they want to buy this guy a beer and maybe get so drunk they rub his head so some of his great luck will rub off on them!

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Who Am I?

Cal Ripken Jr. signs his book “Get in the Game” in New York City in 2007

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Cal Ripken Jr. signs his book <em>Get in the Game</em> in New York City in 2007

Cal Ripken Jr. is hailed as one of the best shortstops and third basemen in baseball. Of all time. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, with the highest approval ratings and impressive stats to match, especially for a man of his stature. What are the odds that without long locks to blow into his eyes in the wind or cause extra heat underneath his helmet, he was at an advantage, though…?

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Who Am I?

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David Cross in New York City, March 2012

As a comedian, David Cross could have capitalized on bald jokes, but thankfully he is much more creative than that. He proved his brilliance early on with the comedy troupe Catch a Rising Star, alongside Janeane Garofalo and Louis C.K. back in the early '90s, the Un-Cabaret club in Los Angeles later, and then countless “outside of the box” television series, like Mr. Show, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, and, of course, Arrested Development. Could you imagine the latter without its whole Blue Man Group subplot? We can’t, so we have to count our lucky stars that Cross can so easily resemble one of their members!

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Who Am I?

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Garth Brooks at the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation in 2011

Garth Brooks is such a renowned country star he surpassed even the Beatles when it comes to records sold (actually, these days the record isn’t even close, as in the 20-plus years he surpassed them, he sold another 5 million records). Country music is known for good ol’ boys and a strong sense of family, though, so Brooks and his unique style have certainly become its own, equally unique kind of sex symbol. Snakkle looks back on Epic '80s Hair Band Style, Before They Were Stars!

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James Gandolfini in Los Angeles for a Premiere, June 2012

Sadly, the popular and respected actor passed suddenly on a vacation in Italy in June of 2013. There was something larger than life about James Gandolfini, despite his quiet, constantly thinking, confident nature. There’s also something inherently lovable about him, despite tackling some pretty violent or otherwise dangerous characters (The Sopranos notwithstanding, does anyone remember Terminal Velocity!?). Perhaps it's his regular-guy look that lends itself to humanizing these very specific and potentially scary guys he plays. Who doesn’t look at him and immediately relate him to an uncle or longtime family friend? After his sudden passing, his Sopranos' co-stars and the creator of the show said they lost their "brother."

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Kelsey Grammer After the 2012 Golden Globes in Los Angeles

Kelsey Grammer is, of course, best known for his role as Dr. Frasier Crane on both Cheers and Frasier. He also starred on Starz’ Boss. However, his voice is also famous—or perhaps infamous—as Sideshow Bob, The Simpsons’ evil television personality perpetually out to get Bart. We always get a kick out of animated characters who really resemble their voice-over artists, but in Grammer’s case, the fun comes from the fact that Sideshow Bob is so physically unlike him—especially Bob’s flaming red, palm-tree-style hairdo!

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Michael Stipe in New York City, 2011

I mean... this hair! It is beyond epic. As lead singer of R.E.M., Michael Stipe became known for an unclear “mumbling” style of singing. But luckily for the band's fans, R.E.M. ignored such criticism and went on to create some of the most iconic music of the late '80s and '90s. Stipe may have lost his religion and these incredible curls, but as of 2008, R.E.M. had gained over 83 million record sales!

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Who Am I?

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Stanley Tucci in New York City, 2011

Oftentimes in Hollywood, actors hide behind new and different hairstyles in order to mark a star turn in characters. But Stanley Tucci is such an incomparable talent, he doesn’t need to reinvent himself physically to have the audience believing he is anything from a futuristic talk show host in The Hunger Games to Meryl Streep’s doting husband in Julie & Julia to a doctor in a poppy period comic book movie (Captain America: The First Avenger).

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Who Am I?

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Vin Diesel Attends CinemaCon in Las Vegas in 2011

Bald has never been more beautiful than with Vin Diesel. Maybe we just have a thing for rough-around-the-edges guys who drive too fast (the only Fast and the Furious installments that count are the ones starring Diesel!), but he makes this look work. Diesel was a bouncer before becoming a bona fide action star, proving he can hang with guys on both sides of the velvet rope. For an amazing Surprise Real hair Colors in Hollywood photo gallery, click here!

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Woody Harrelson at the Hunger Games premiere in Los Angeles, March 2012

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Woody Harrelson at the <em>Hunger Games</em> Premiere in Los Angeles, March 2012

We’re not going to lie to you: Though Woody Harrelson has had an impressive career from his time on Cheers and in White Men Can’t Jump all the way until his most recent role in The Hunger Games, we couldn’t tell you off the top of our head just when his hair started being cut shorter and shorter. In all honesty, we have always been much too distracted/mesmerized/entranced (whatever you want to call it) by his piercing eyes instead!